'Iron Man': It's Still Weak With Women…

I’m hearing across the board from Hollywood marketing mavens that, while Marvel’s Iron Man should kick off the summer movie season with a great 3-day weekend opening (not counting tonight’s haul), there’s also an asterisk: Will women turn out in big numbers? “It’s getting better, but it’s still weak with women,” a source at Paramount, the distributor, acknowledges to me. Said a rival studio’s box office guru: “It’s the one weak spot. If Iron Man can get any traction with females, then the sky’s the limit. It’s not going to be a Spider-Man. But it could be a significant title nevertheless, and one of this summer’s Top 4 grossing pics. If it can’t get female traction, then its total is going to be low $200 million.”